Railroad cattle-guard.



i. T. GIDCUIVIB.

RAILROAD CATTLE GUARD.

APPucATmN FILED sEPT.1.1917.

Patented Jan. 22, 191s.

M, T w L M w u nllll... .Ianni JOHN T. GIDCUMB, 0F DALLAS, TEXAS.

RAILROAD CATTLE-GUARD.

Speccaton of Letters IPatent.

Patented Jan. 22, italie.

Application led September 1, 1917. Serial No. 189,379.

T0 all 107mm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN T. GIDCUMB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Railroad Cattle-Guard, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improved form of railroadcattle guard to be used in connection with the' intersection of arailroad and highway or country road in order to prevent live stock,such as cows or horses, which` may be upon the highway road fromentering upon the track or railway property. -An object of the inventionis to provide a form of cattle guard which may be used to safeguard arailroad company from liability losses due to the killing of animals onthe tracks, and to save the animals death due to fast running trains.

A further object of the invention is to provide a formof pivotal gatenormally arranged parallel with the track, and adapted to pivot acrosssaid track when an animalattempts to pass through the opening where thisdevice will be installed between the highway and the track.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has relation to acertain combination and arrangement of parts, an example of which isdescribed in the following specification, pointed out in the appendedclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein,

Figure 1 is a` perspective view of the-cattle guard. Y

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewof the cattle guard taken parallel with therails of the track.

Fig. device.

Fig. parts.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken trans versely o f the rails.

3 is a detailed view of parts of the 4L is a detail in plan view ofcertain Referring now more in particular to the drawings, wherein thesame parts throughout are designated by identical reference characters,the numeral 1 points out the rails of the track mounted in the usual wayupon suitable ties 0r supports. Treadle platforms 2 have one endpivotally supported upon a cross tie 3 and retained in position by pinsa passed through an enlarged opening in the platform and driven into thetie. The other ends of the treadle platforms are free to undergo slightdisplacement up and down about the supported end as a pivotal point. Theforward ends of the platforms lie free of any supporting means otherthan that which is hereinafter explained. A shaft 5 1s arranged underthe track and platforms transversely thereto, said shaft being square incrosssection but provided with suitable Journals 6 at the point where itis passed through and supportedby the beams 7. A plurality of arms 8 arefixed upon the shaft and provided with an arcuate extremity S) whichlies in contact with the underneath side of the platform.- The arms 8are positioned upon the shaft at an angle with the Iplatform so thatpressure from weight exerted upon the platform will cause the arms to bedepressed and the shaft rotated a partial revolution. An upturned arm 10is integrally formed with the shaft and provided with a connecting eye11.

A gate comprising several parallel members 12 with an integral vert-icalsupporting standard. 13 is pivoted in a substantial base lll adjacent totrack, and provided with suitable braces l5 which connect at the upperend of the standard to hold the gate in position as it revolves. An arm16 is fixed to the standard and provided with an eye on the extremity7thereof for connection with the other parts. A link 17 .is connectedwith the arm 16 and passes through the eye 11 of the arm 10 and providedwith a T head 18. This confines the connecting link in the eye 11 andlimits the action one way, which per mits the rod to slide through theeye the other way. A post or standard 19 is fixed to the ground to limitthe swinging action of the gate. A tension spring 20 connects with thepost and with the arm 16 in such a way as to normally retain the gateagainst the post.

The assembly and arrangement of parts establishes a direct pivotalcontrol by the treadle platforms over the swinging gate in such a mannerthat when an animal attempts to pass over the platform the weightthereof will cause the gate to quickly swing about and across the trackagainst the animal effectively closing the passage thereto. A cow orhorse in crossing the obstacle, such as the treadle platforms offer,will hesitate in going upon it when it begins to move downwardly 0rdepress under its weight and before attempting to tread upon it.

will probably jump back, but if'the animal is insistent upon going onthe gate goes around with sufficient force to'strike itsuch a bloW asWill cause the animal to Withdraw. A dotted line position A indicatesthe gate across the track. After the animal has hacked off the depressedplatform the gate will return to its normal positionthrough theinfluence of the spring 20. But if .for any reason the gate should hang`or remain in that position, or shouldl be locked there by placing a rockor other weight on the platform by irresponsible people then a trainapproaching the gate would pass through without material damage theretobecause of the particular arrangement of the connecting link 17 and arml0. The gate would move into a position VB as indicated by dotted lines,since the connecting' rod 174 would slip through the eye ll. This wouldcause a still greater tension to be placed Yupon the spring 2O whichwould immediately return the gate to its normal position after Illeti'ain had passed through.

The treadle platforms will be constructed of steel and provided withupturned points integrally formed by a punching or stamping operation.This form of treadle platform offers a considerable, obstacle to thefoot of the animal and will Cause hesitation The gate will be soinstalled Vat the ioads intersection that the outer extremityV of thegate Will be pointed away from the road and down the track. Thisarrangement further places the free or movable end of the treadleplatform adjacent to the road.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedY for vc `cents each, by addressingthe Commi Washington, D. C.

If desired, a framework-21 may be arranged upon either side of theplatform to join the device With the fence inclosingthe Y end and freelymovable at the other, of aV gate adapted to swing across the track, con

ncctions between the platform and the gate Y to swing the latter whenthe'platform is depressed, means for returning said gate to a normalposition, and means for permitting the gate to swing on beyond itscrosstrack position oppositely to its normal position.

2. In a stock guard gate for use on frail-V road crossing, a pivotalgate arranged adjacent to a railroad track, treadle platforms placed inthe track and having one supporty ed extremity with the othcrendmovable, a

`shaft journaled transversely of said platform, arcuate arms fixed tothe shaft and' engaging` the platform, an Varm formed on the shaft, anarm fixed to the gate, a link slidably connecting said armoii the gateand said arm on the shaft, With a head formed on the linkto permit thegate to move beyond its cross track position, and a coil s irino forreturninor said Oate to itsl original b n c Y n position.

Joi-IN r. eiDoUMB.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix in?? ssoiier of Patents, Y

